Pasadena Water & Power

Electrical Vault Owner Information

Important notice to property owners with vaults on their property: In accordance with Regulation 21, and as enforced by the City's Ordinance 13.04.125, it is the property owners responsibility to maintain and repair the vault, and guarantee easy access to the vault for PWP employees and contractors.

Vault Inspections

The California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC's) General Order 165 Vault Inspection Program ensures that distribution equipment in underground vaults on private property is safe and properly maintained. The CPUC's General Order 165 requires utilities to inspect these vaults every three years and PWP has adopted this program.

Many Pasadena businesses and multi-family housing complexes have such vaults on their premises, housing additional high-voltage equipment to meet the power needs of their facilities. While checking the equipment, PWP's electric crews also look for any unsafe conditions, including lack of ventilation, intruding water, or overgrown shrubs or obstacles blocking the entrance.

While PWP maintains the equipment inside the vaults, customers are required to install and maintain the enclosure. High and low voltage conduits and venting ducts must also be maintained if the vault is on private property. All vaults must meet safety codes, and they should allow for access by PWP crews. (If a vault is not maintained, equipment damage could cause an outage not only for the customer, but for neighbors as well.) Customers are also required to post high-voltage warning signs.

If you have a vault on your premises, please read PWP's Vault Owner's Guide for more information on your responsibilities, codes and regulations, and safety.

More information on vault maintenance can be found under the California Public Utilities Commission's General Order 165 (in Adobe PDF format).